president obama repeated his pledge he's open to new ideas, but is holding firm on his call for higher taxes on top income earners, something missing from the g.o.p. plan. with just three weeks left, the two sides are still at odds with their opening offers. with time ticking away to reach a deal before tax cuts expire and spending cuts hit, president obama today said he's still optimistic a deal will be done and he's willing to compromise, but negotiations just aren't there yet. >> it's going to require what i talked about in the campaign, which is a balanced, responsible approach to deficit reduction that can help give businesses certainty and make sure the country grows. >> tom: the president rejected the proposal republicans presented him yesterday. it would cut the debt by $2.2 trillion over ten years, but would not raise taxes on america's highest earners, the biggest sticking point. the two sides seem to be allowing themselves room to bargain. the president said today he'd be open to lowering tax rates for high earners later next year as part of a broad tax reform package. and s